Oswego County horse put down after testing positive for EEE

Oswego County, NY -- A two-year-old gelding in Oswego County is the state's first confirmed equine case this year of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, also known as EEE.

The infected horse was purchased at a New York auction earlier this year. The young horse had an unknown vaccination history at the time of purchase and was not vaccinated after purchase, said state Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Patrick Hooker.

Last week, the gelding showed typical signs of EEE, including loss of appetite, circling and leaning against the stall. After examination by a private veterinarian, the horse was euthanized.

Brain samples were sent to the state Department of Health’s Wadsworth Laboratory and tested positive for EEE. To date, the other horses on the same premises are not showing any signs of EEE and have since been vaccinated.

EEE is a rare viral disease of horses and humans that is spread by infected mosquitoes. So far, there have been no reported nor confirmed human cases of EEE in 2010.

“New York’s abundant water sources and humid climate unfortunately make the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and the EEE virus,” Hooker said. “Therefore, we highly encourage horse owners to protect their animals and consider vaccinating for EEE. The EEE vaccine has proven to drastically reduce the incidence of the virus in horses and can be easily administered by a private veterinarian.”

Hooker said humans cannot become infected by handling an infected horse, nor can a horse acquire the virus from another infected horse; however, the presence of an infected horse in the area indicates that mosquitoes carrying EEE are present and infected mosquitoes pose a threat to both humans and horses.

While there is no treatment or cure for this disease, vaccines are available and found to be effective in protecting horses from this virus.